Pepe Reina, currently on a season-long loan at the Serie A side Napoli, says he would welcome a return to Barcelona next summer.

The Liverpool goalkeeper has been strongly linked with a move to the Primera Division at the end of the campaign to replace the outgoing Víctor Valdés.

Barça's current No1 announced in May that he would leave the Nou Camp at the end of this season and Reina, who began his career at the club before making a name for himself at Villarreal and later Liverpool, would relish a return.

However, the 31-year-old knows the Catalan club will have many targets and has refused to speculate on his future beyond this season.

He told El Mundo Deportivo: "I would love to return to Barcelona. To play at Barça is a privilege. But I imagine that my name is on a list with others. Barça is a top club and Víctor Valdés' departure will have alerted other candidates, so a return will be very difficult.

"Right now I'm not thinking about it. I was fortunate to play there once and I consider myself privileged to have done that. The important thing is that I continue to do well at Napoli."

Reina has three years remaining on his contract with Liverpool, but is unlikely to return to play at Anfield given that Simon Mignolet has firmly established himself as first-choice goalkeeper, although Brendan Rodgers may wish to retain the services of Reina as his No2.